Rural broker named AMA Broker of the Year

Wagga Wagga-based broker beats Sydney-based brokers with a broad commercial and specialist lending offering

Rural broker named AMA Broker of the Year
Wagga Wagga-based broker beats Sydney-based brokers with a broad commercial and specialist lending offering

Ian Robinson, of Robinson Sewell Partners, has been named Westpac Australian Broker of the Year at the Australian Mortgage Awards.

Broker of the Year is the top award of the night, and finalists are drawn from the winners of subsidiary awards. Robinson beat Sydney-based Simon Orbell and Daniel O’Brien, the winners of the independent broker and productivity awards. 

Robinson also achieved the rare feat of winning two awards in a row, taking home the trophies for Pepper Money Broker of the Year – Specialist Lending and ANZ Broker of the Year – Commercial. 

Over 600 attended the AMAs, which took place on Friday at the Star Sydney.

What Robinson Sewell does differently

AMA Broker of the Year has in recent years gone to Sydney and Melbourne based brokers with high residential volumes, frequently Top 100 Brokers.

Robinson Sewell Partners is quite a different operation. Based in Wagga Wagga, Robinson and co-founded Brad Sewell cater to farmers and small businesses across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australian and the Northern Territory. 

Banks’ poor treatment of farmers has been a continual issue in recent years, culminating in a report by the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell in February. 

In common with other commercial brokerages, Robinson Sewell Partners charges an engagement fee of above $3000, which covers nearly 100% of the brokerage’s operating costs, Sewell told MPA in an interview earlier this year

The brokerage is currently looking for ‘corporate partners’ to utilise their experience and systems in exchange for a minority share of the income. 

Big wins for the big cities

Friday’s awards nevertheless saw several winners from Australia’s largest cities.

NAB Australian Brokerage of the Year was won by 1st Street Financial, based in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, whilst Melbourne-based The Australian Lending & Investment Centre was named ME Brokerage of the Year (>20 staff).

One of the biggest winners of the night was Sydney-based brokerage Smartmove, whose brokers took home both the FBAA Independent Broker award and the award for ING Young Gun of the Year (Independent).

Read our full profile of Robinson Sewell Partners here: http://www.mpamagazine.com.au/sections/features/outback-broking-with-robinson-sewell-partners-238413.aspx?keyword=robinson